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[Updated on: Thu, 20 November 2003 19:50] by Moderator

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Oh that spreadsheet... i got similar one somewhere for quick sims about what to design. What you can always conclude from such spreadsheet that there are no ultimate designs.

For a case put your spreadsheet results into truth test in few real testbeds.

The few things i have improved:

I have two sets of results: worst case and best case. In worst case the enemy (first design) has +0.5 init in best case me (second design) has +0.5 init. It may give dramatic differences for some designs.

The stacks rarely close up to range 0, more often they keep it at range 2 ... so i have beam power lowered for accuracy sake.

I have table for item costs because usually one start to build flat out until out of minerals.

In games where the game is decided in nub era the production is more often germ (not iron) limited. I have fields for available minerals so it limits what limits.

I have computers too among items it add to init and are best counter for some cases where worst case is very different than best case.

I have fluxes for a case i am fighting HE ... (i have long time not played HE myself).

I have few engine rows too. Up to TS 10 one will take it only in *very* large games. People usually start with TGMS or IS-10 on nubs.

Superlatanium give some surpise results for the guy wihout RS if his production is not iron limited so maybe add it too.

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The results from the spreadsheet show the side that fires first wins: (all other items being identical).
At the end of the battle the side with the first shot has significantly more ships then the other side. (any ships would be more then 0)

This could seem counterintuitive, at least it seemed that way to me the first time I encountered it, however, there is an explanation.

In a book called Fleet Tactics the theory is described as concentration of firepower. Essentially, when two fleets face off the admire should concentrate the firepower on a small number of ships. The purpose is to destroy that ship and render its weapons inoperable. If the first fleet does this and the second has each ship targeting the others one on one then the first will win and have the same scenario as was shown in the spread sheet. After the first round of battle the first fleet has more weapons to bare upon the second. As the ratio of guns to hulls increases the faster the second fleet loses hulls.

I think that the same situation would play itself out if missile boats were added to the scenario. In an identical situation, the first to strike will win.

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LEit wrote on Fri, 21 November 2003 21:15

If you add computers, then firing first might have you lose the battle, because you have fewer of something else, and/or you cannot build as many beacuse you've just spent a lot more on Germanium.

Truth is that you got less something else. Firing first may still give more advantage than that "something else".

Germanium also plays its role if it is the limiting factor (often it is). Still you should pay attention that one tech 0 computer more is enough to make you to fire first... so you may (again that "may") even win in germanium by using computers!

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